The National Forum for Health and Wellbeing at Work, based at AMBS, has launched a report on how organisations can more effectively measure workplace health and wellbeing
Health and wellbeing is increasingly recognised as a driver of business resilience and performance, and effective measurement enables employers to identify the real issues impacting health and wellbeing in their organisation in order to prioritise resources and ensure optimal impact.
Yet knowing exactly where to start is one of the most common challenges in workplace wellbeing measurement. With so many possible metrics, it can feel difficult to know what will actually be useful.
Guidance
The report makes clear that there is no single right way to look at wellbeing data. Instead, it offers practical guidance to organisations starting out on their wellbeing measurement journey in terms of how they might think about shaping and structuring wellbeing metrics.
Sir Cary Cooper, 50th Anniversary Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at AMBS and co-founder of the Forum, said: “When it comes to wellbeing measurement, the most effective approaches begin not with a simple list of indicators but with a clear understanding of what the organisation needs to know and why. These questions help focus measurement on what is within the organisation’s control and what will genuinely inform decisions.
“Effective measurement is rarely just about collecting more and more data. Instead, it is about using the right information consistently. And as the approach towards wellbeing measurement matures, so it typically becomes more joined up and draws on multiple data sources.”
He added that wellbeing measurement is not a one-time exercise and most organisations develop their approach incrementally. “What matters is that measurement develops in a way that is useful, proportionate, and connected to action. And, crucially, in a way that shows employees that their input leads to visible change.”
Case studies
The report features a number of case studies detailing how specific companies and organisations across both the private and public sectors have approached measurement of health and wellbeing within their workforces. The case studies include Shell, Mace, Wave, Canada Life UK, Mars, GSK, BP and Philips.
The report also discusses how health and wellbeing metrics extend well beyond HR and health and safety and are relevant across the whole organisation because wellbeing underpins key business outcomes including productivity, culture, risk management, financial performance and employer reputation.
Added Sir Cary: “Health and wellbeing should be treated as a cross-functional driver of performance. And accountability should always sit at senior level, whether through a designated executive sponsor for wellbeing or through a Chief People Officer.”
The report was launched at a special event at the House of Commons attended by businesses and members of the Forum, with a guest speech from Sir Charlie Mayfield who recently led a review of employers’ role in tackling health-based economic inactivity.